Ask the Pros for Help

Ordering wine in a restaurant can, and should be, a painless experience.  There are only a few ideas to consider when undertaking this often-uncomfortable situation.  A little knowledge of the do’s and don’ts will go a long way towards alleviating any anxiety with the ritual of wine service.  As with any dining experience, a sense of confidence in the service and food provided is necessary for a truly relaxed, enjoyable occasion.  You should feel assured that your dietary needs, personal tastes, health, and financial security are at the forefront of the establishments’ considerations.
Let’s say you are in a given restaurant for the first time, and are familiar with many of the wines offered.  Having chosen your entree, you select a nice wine to accompany your meal.  Now is the time to start ascertaining the level of service you are about to receive: 

• The wine should be served timely.
• The wine should be served with the proper glassware.
• The wine should be served at the correct temperature.
• The wine should be served in an appropriate manner. 

Pointed questions regarding your selection can help determine the experience level of your server.  To my mind, a great pleasure of dining out is resting some decisions upon the expertise of the professionals who handle their particular dining elements day in and day out. 

• Feel free to ask for help.  
• Describe what characteristics you enjoy in a wine rather than selecting by region, vineyard or variety. 

With a given level of confidence in the staff, you will be able to experience new tastes with the assurance of a great dining experience.

Ready to Order?

It is rarely a good idea to order wine without looking at the list or asking the price.  Many are the times a guest has said, “I love Mouton-Rothschild, do you have a bottle?” only to choke when they see an eight hundred dollar price tag.  Know what you are getting into, and, while affordability should never be your only consideration, don’t be afraid to ask the price of anything.
Should you ask your server or sommelier: “What is your favorite wine?”  You may get this response: “Well, what am I eating?  What time of year is it?  The occasion?   Who am I with?”  Most experienced wine connoisseurs will have many personal favorites.   Instead, ask what they may suggest with the meal you have selected, given the tastes you prefer. 

Wine Presentation and Service

Wine service should proceed in a similar manner every time you order:

The Right Wine?

First, the wine bottle will be presented to you un-opened. At this point you are checking to make sure the wine is what you selected: 

• Correct grape,
• Correct vineyard,
• Correct vintage. 

The Cork Check

Next, the bottle will be opened and the cork presented to whomever chose the wine.  There is no need to smell the cork.  With the cork you are looking for one thing: integrity.  The following signs are not conclusive, but would beg a little closer scrutiny of the wine:

• The cork is soft and spongy
• The cork crumbles upon removal
• There is a pronounced stripe running longitudinally along the cork

If any of these signs are present, there is a higher probability the wine will be faulted.

The Discernment

Next, a small portion of wine will be poured for the person who ordered it (for our purposes, the host.)  This wine is not poured as a taste test, but rather, as an opportunity for the guest to discern any faults in the wine:  You should look at:

• See the color – is it what you expected? 
• Smell it – Anything moldy? – Vinegary? – Does the wine smell bruised or rotten? 
• Taste it – Does it taste the way it smells? 

An experienced diner never languishes over the discernment of wine – a connoisseur will take seconds to determine if a particular bottle is good. 

Given that the host chose the wine and the wine is un-faulted, the bottle should not be rejected.  All sommeliers have entertained a guest who is intent upon opening six bottles of wine only to decide which they like best - not the purpose of the tasting.  An exception to this rule:  If a guest states the characteristics of the wines he or she enjoys, and the server makes a recommendation, and the wine does not fit the preferred wine profile, then it is okay to send the wine back, even if it is sound.

The Service

Given a positive response to the initial inspection, the server will start to pour your wine. 

• Wine service starts with the lady to the left of the host.
• Service proceeds clockwise to the rest of the women.
• Lastly, service continues clockwise for the men, serving the host – male or female – last.

An exception to this rule:  If the table has more than eight guests, wine service proceeds clockwise, from the hosts left, not differentiating for male or female, serving the host last.

Enjoy!

Most important – dining in general, and wine specifically - should be enjoyed.  These are singular moments of your life’s experience and are irreplaceable.  Anything detracting from your pleasure should not be repeated, and every great meal accorded the respect of a once in a lifetime experience.  Salute!  
 

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What wine will go well with my meal…or maybe, what meal will go well with my wine? In any case, there are many components to what we eat and what we drink: textures, flavors, weights, and chemical compositions, let alone the relationships created when we combine their various elements! It is also true you can spend a lifetime honing your ability to craft memorable pairings of greater depth, interest, and cohesion.

There is No “Wrong” Answer

Given wine and food’s potential complexity, making good pairing decisions are well within the ability of almost everyone, and many of the choices you make will be based upon personal preference.

Lets say that once more in a different way: First and foremost – drink what you like. Wine is truly and completely subjective, with great latitude for personal preference, and while some wines are better suited to some foods, don’t make the mistake of drinking a wine you simply won’t enjoy because some wine expert says it’s a great wine. That said; most of us don’t know everything we like, so be adventurous, try new things, and take a risk from time to time. The reward of that surprising discovery when you stumble upon something extraordinary is absolutely priceless.

Harmony or Contrast?

When I choose wine to pair with a meal, I start with a simple question: Do I want the wine to work in harmony with the food, or do I want to offer some contrast? Certainly, when your meal and your wine are in perfect harmony, you can loose track of when you are eating and when you are drinking, the two merging into a seamless whole, more than the sum of their components. On the other hand, contrast yields the brightest experience, with each element showcasing the other for what it is not. Even so, in contrast, most pairings will have some echo, or complimentary aspects. All pairings should showcase your meal to its’ best advantage.

Here’s an example: Our entrée is Salmon Oscar. The salmon has a medium to full flavor, it is pan seared imparting a little smoky, caramelized aspect, and topped with crab, asparagus and béarnaise. To work in harmony with this dish we might choose a lush, oaky Napa Valley Chardonnay, hoping to pair the creaminess of the wine; buttery, ripe, soft, full; with the richness of the béarnaise sauce and the sweetness of the crab. We might also pair this entrée with a rich Oregon Pinot Noir, again in harmony, looking to accentuate the earthiness of the salmon while maintaining a creamy texture. To contrast the Oscar, we might try crisp Muscadet from the western Loire Valley of France. The wine’s light, briny quality begs for seafood, while its high acidity cleanses the palate of heavy sauces, making each bite taste like the first. If you prefer a red wine to provide contrast with the Oscar you might try a nice Italian Chianti Classico, with its characteristic tangy, cleansing acidity, woody backbone and focused minerality.

Here’s another example: Our entrée is grilled Filet Mignon topped with a light Danish Blue Cheese. To work in harmony with this dish we might try a big Australian Shiraz, the smokiness of the wine complimenting the filet’s grilled preparation and the cheese serves to soften the tannins of the wine. We could also try a youthful, vibrant, red Bordeaux, whose body is up to the challenge of grilled meat and whose terroir driven earthiness showcases the blue cheese. If we wanted to provide contrast to this dish, we might try an aged, German Auslese Riesling, whose high acid and high sugar can handle the weight of the entrée while cleansing the palate and making the Danish Blue Cheese sing.

Pairing 101

Here are some basic pairings you can use to take some of the guesswork out of wine selection.

Most importantly, the over-all weight of your wine should mirror the weight of your meal. A heavier meal does better with a heavier wine (and a lighter meal with a lighter wine) because both can assert their attributes without overpowering each-others qualities. You certainly would not want to spend one hundred dollars on Grand Cru Chablis, and be unable to taste it through your barbecue ribs! Likewise, the delicate flavors of abalone or lobster are almost sure to be lost in the robust Malbecs from Argentina.

Typically, white wine goes best with seafood, light poultry, and pork; and works well with sauté, poaching, steaming, and frying.

Some white wines you may consider, arranged light (top) to heavy (bottom):

• Pinot Grigio
• Sauvignon Blanc
• Riesling
• Pinot Blanc
• Gewürztraminer
• Viognier
• Chardonnay

Red wine pairs nicely with beef, lamb, wild game, and darker poultry; and compliments roasting, grilling, brazing, searing and smoking.

Some red wines arranged light to heavy:

• Pinot Noir
• Grenache
• Merlot
• Zinfandel
• Sangiovesse
• Syrah
• Malbec
• Cabernet Sauvignon

Wine and food pairings can be as simple or as complex as you want them to be. Everyday choices made with a little knowledge, common sense, and personal tastes will serve you well. And, when you decide to create a little beauty, delve into the myriad and complex nuances of food and wine and craft something memorable.

Salute!

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